Semiconductor device with frame having arms and related methods

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device includes a substrate that includes an opening extending through a thickness of the substrate, a frame that includes an integrated circuit (IC) die pad in the opening and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the IC die pad, an IC mounted on the IC die pad, a plurality of bonding elements electrically coupling the substrate with the IC without the frame being an intermediary coupling element, and an encapsulant surrounding the IC, the plurality of bonding elements, and the plurality of arms. The substrate has a first major surface and a second major surface. Each arm is devoid of a contact pad. Each arm has a distal end coupled to the first major surface of the substrate, and each arm has a proximal end disposed over the first major surface of the substrate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/912,193, filed on Mar. 5, 2018, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/957,785, filed on Dec. 3, 2015, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,947,612, which applications are hereby incorporated herein by their reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of electronic device manufacturing, and, more particularly, to a method for making integrated circuit devices.

BACKGROUND

In electronic devices with integrated circuits (ICs), the ICs are typically mounted onto circuit boards. In order to electrically couple connections between the circuit board and the IC, the IC is typically “packaged.” The IC packaging usually provides a small encasement for physically protecting the IC and provides contact pads for coupling to the circuit board. In some applications, the packaged IC may be coupled to the circuit board via solder bumps.

One approach to IC packaging comprises a quad-flat no-leads (QFN) package. The QFN package may provide some advantages, such as reduced lead inductance, a near chip scale footprint, thin profile, and low weight. Also, the QFN package typically includes perimeter I/O pads to ease circuit board trace routing, and the exposed copper die-pad technology offers enhanced thermal and electrical performance. QFN packaging may be well suited for applications where size, weight, and thermal and electrical performance are important.

In particular, since the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) for certain materials in the packaging process mismatch, there can be some defects in the final IC device. For example, the CTE mismatch can cause breaks and discontinuities in the final IC devices. Also, the carrier strip or substrate can warp, i.e. creating wafer bow.

SUMMARY

Generally speaking, a semiconductor device may include a circuit board having an opening therein, and a frame (e.g. a metallic material frame) comprising an IC die pad in the opening, and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the IC die pad and coupled to the circuit board. The semiconductor device may also include at least one IC mounted on the IC die pad, a plurality of bond wires coupling the circuit board with the at least one IC, and encapsulation material surrounding the at least one IC, the plurality of bond wires, and the plurality of arms. Advantageously, the semiconductor device may effectively radiate thermal energy.

In some embodiments, the IC die pad may have first and second opposing surfaces, the first opposing surface being adjacent the at least one IC, the second opposing surface being exposed through the opening of the circuit board. The IC die pad may be rectangle-shaped, and each arm may extend diagonally outward from a respective corner of the rectangle-shaped IC die pad.

Also, the IC die pad and the circuit board may have adjacent aligned bottom surfaces. The circuit board may include a dielectric layer, and a plurality of electrically conductive traces carried by the dielectric layer and respectively coupled to the plurality of bond wires. The at least one IC may comprise a substrate, and a plurality of bond pads carried by the substrate and respectively coupled to the plurality of bond wires.

Additionally, the semiconductor device may include an adhesive layer between respective distal ends of the plurality of arms and the circuit board. The semiconductor device may comprise an adhesive layer between the at least one IC and the IC die pad. The encapsulation material may surround peripheral edges of the circuit board and the frame.

Another aspect is directed to a method for making a semiconductor device. The method may include forming a circuit board having an opening therein, and positioning a frame. The frame may comprise an IC die pad in the opening, and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the IC die pad and coupled to the circuit board. The method may comprise positioning at least one IC on the IC die pad, and forming a plurality of bond wires coupling the circuit board with the at least one IC. The method may also include forming encapsulation material surrounding the at least one IC, the plurality of bond wires, and the plurality of arms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a semiconductor device, according to the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2A-2H are schematic side views of steps in a method for making the semiconductor device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic top plan view of the step from FIG. 2D.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which several embodiments of the invention are shown. This present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

Referring now initially to FIG. 1, a semiconductor device 10 according to the present disclosure is now described. The semiconductor device 10 includes a circuit board 11 having an opening 26 (FIGS. 2A-2C) therein. The opening 26 is illustratively rectangle-shaped and medially placed, but may have an offset in other embodiments. Also, the opening 26 may have other shapes (e.g. shapes with rounded edges) in other embodiments. The circuit board 11 illustratively includes a dielectric layer 18, and a plurality of electrically conductive traces 19 a-19 b carried by the dielectric layer. The plurality of electrically conductive traces 19 a-19 b may define a plurality of contact pads for coupling to external circuitry. The plurality of electrically conductive traces 19 a-19 b may comprise, for example, one or more of copper and aluminum. The dielectric layer 18 may comprise, for example, an organic laminate material, or a liquid crystal polymer.

The semiconductor device 10 includes a frame 12 comprising an IC die pad 20 in the opening 26, and a plurality of arms 21 a-21 b extending outwardly from the IC die pad and coupled to the circuit board 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the IC die pad 20 is downset with respect to the plurality of arms 21 a-21 b. In some embodiments, the frame 12 may comprise a metallic material, such as one or more of aluminum and copper, but may comprise any material with sufficient rigidness and thermal conductivity. The IC die pad 20 is illustratively rectangle-shaped, and each arm 21 a-21 b extends diagonally outward from a respective corner of the rectangle-shaped IC die pad. In other embodiments, the IC die pad 20 may take on other shapes.

The semiconductor device 10 illustratively includes an IC 13 mounted on the IC die pad 20. For example, the IC 13 may comprise a high powered IC, such as a processing unit. In other embodiments, more than one IC 13 could be mounted. The IC 13 illustratively includes a substrate (e.g. silicon) 27, and a plurality of bond pads (e.g. one or more of copper and aluminum) 28 a-28 b carried by the substrate.

The semiconductor device 10 illustratively includes a plurality of bond wires (e.g. one or more of copper, silver, gold, and aluminum) 15 a-15 b coupling respective ones of the plurality of bond pads 28 a-28 b of the IC 13 with respective ones of the plurality of electrically conductive traces 19 a-19 b of the circuit board 11. The semiconductor device 10 illustratively includes encapsulation material (e.g. dielectric resin) 17 surrounding the IC 13, the plurality of bond wires 15 a-15 b, and the plurality of arms 21 a-21 b.

In the illustrated embodiment, the IC die pad 20 has first and second opposing surfaces. The first opposing surface is adjacent the IC 13, and the second opposing surface is exposed through the opening 26 of the circuit board 11. Also, the IC die pad 20 and the circuit board 11 have adjacent aligned bottom surfaces 25 a-25 b. In other words, the IC die pad 20 and the circuit board 11 have coplanar bottom surfaces 25 a-25 b, thereby providing an advantageous low profile. In other embodiments, the IC die pad 20 and the circuit board 11 may have bottom surfaces 25 a-25 b that are vertically offset.

Additionally, the semiconductor device 10 illustratively includes an adhesive layer (e.g. a non-conductive adhesive) 16 a-16 b between respective distal ends of the plurality of arms 21 a-21 b and the circuit board 11. The encapsulation material 17 illustratively surrounds peripheral edges 24 a-24 c of the circuit board 11, the adhesive layer 16 a-16 b, and the frame 12, thereby providing advantageous mechanical protection to these peripheral edges. In other embodiments, the encapsulation material 17 may alternatively stop at the peripheral edges 24 a-24 c of the circuit board 11, the adhesive layer 16 a-16 b, and the frame 12. The semiconductor device 10 illustratively includes an adhesive layer (e.g. a non-conductive adhesive) 14 between the IC 13 and the IC die pad 20.

In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of arms 21 a-21 b extends laterally and in parallel to opposing major surfaces of the circuit board 11. In other embodiments, the plurality of arms 21 a-21 b may extend at an angle to the opposing majors surfaces of the circuit board 11. Also, the plurality of arms 21 a-21 b is vertically spaced from the adjacent surface of the circuit board 11. This vertical spacing in combination with the non-conductive adhesive layer 16 a-16 b electrically isolates the frame 12 from the electrically active components, i.e. the frame is a non-active component. Also, in these embodiments, the plurality of electrically conductive traces 19 a-19 b may extend and cross under the plurality of arms 21 a-21 b to provide dense fan out arrangements. In other embodiments though, the plurality of arms 21 a-21 b extend directly along the surface of the circuit board 11, limiting the fan out pattern of the plurality of electrically conductive traces 19 a-19 b. Also, in other embodiments, the frame 12 may be electrically active and could serve as a ground, for example.

Advantageously, the semiconductor device 10 may provide an approach to some problems in the prior art. In prior art approaches that use organic laminate circuit boards, the carrier strip could warp during manufacturing. Moreover, the finished packaged device was also subject to warping if exposed to excess heat. Also, the thermal dissipation performance of the final device was less than satisfactory. On the other hand, in prior art approaches that used lead frames to provide connections, the density of fan out designs for contacts was not sufficient. In other words, lead frame approaches fail to provide enough input-output contacts in some applications.

The semiconductor device 10 provides an approach to these issues of the prior art. In particular, the semiconductor device 10 leverages the rigidity and thermal dissipation performance of lead frame approaches with the fan out density of circuit board approaches. Since the IC 13 is packaged with contacts in the circuit board 11, the plurality of electrically conductive traces 19 a-19 b are routed easily to provide a great number of input-output contacts.

Moreover, the semiconductor device 10 includes the frame 12, which effectively transfers thermal energy externally via the exposed large surface of the IC die pad 20, i.e. serving as a heat sink of sorts. Indeed, since the IC 13 sits on this heat sink, the heat dissipation performance is quite good. Also, the frame 12 maintains stiffness throughout the package during manufacture and application use without using stiffeners of prior art approaches.

Another aspect is directed to a method for making a semiconductor device 10. The method includes forming a circuit board 11 having an opening 26 therein. The method also includes positioning a frame 12 comprising an IC die pad 20 in the opening 26, and a plurality of arms 21 a-21 b extending outwardly from the IC die pad and coupled to the circuit board 11. The method comprises positioning at least one IC 13 on the IC die pad 20, forming a plurality of bond wires 15 a-15 b coupling the circuit board 11 with the at least one IC, and forming encapsulation material 17 surrounding the at least one IC, the plurality of bond wires, and the plurality of arms 21 a-21 b.

Referring now additionally to FIGS. 2A-2H and 3, the method for making the semiconductor device 10 is now described in greater detail. In the following figures, although two semiconductor devices 10 a-10 b are manufactured simultaneously, it should be appreciated that any number of semiconductor devices 10 could be manufactured in parallel (e.g. several hundred at one time).

In FIGS. 2A-2B, the circuit board 11 is mounted onto an adhesive carrier layer 22. In FIG. 2C, the adhesive layer 16 a-16 b is formed on the circuit board 11 for receiving the frame 12.

In FIGS. 2D and 3, the frame 12 is mounted onto the circuit board. Each frame 12 a-12 b illustratively includes four arms 21 aa-21 db, but could comprise more or less arms in other embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the frame 12 a-12 b may comprise six arms to provide even greater rigidity and thermal dissipation. Each arm 21 aa-21 db is illustratively rectangle-shaped, but may have a tapered shape (i.e. a triangle or trapezoid shaped arm) in other embodiments, i.e. the width thinning as the arm extends away from the IC die pad 20.

In FIG. 2E, the adhesive layer 14 is formed on the IC die pad 20, and the IC 13 is mounted onto the IC die pad. In FIG. 2F, the plurality of bond wires 15 a-15 b are formed between the plurality of electrically conductive traces 19 a-19 b and the plurality of bond pads 28 a-28 b of the IC 13.

In FIG. 2G, the encapsulation material 17 is formed over the circuit board 11 and IC 13. Once encapsulation is complete, the adhesive carrier layer 22 is removed. In FIG. 2H, the carrier strip of the semiconductor devices 10 a-10 b is singulated with a dicing blade 23.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the present disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a substrate comprising an opening extending through a thickness of the substrate, the substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface; a frame comprising an integrated circuit (IC) die pad in the opening and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the IC die pad, each arm being devoid of a contact pad, each arm having a distal end coupled to the first major surface of the substrate, and a proximal end disposed over the first major surface of the substrate; an IC mounted on the IC die pad; a plurality of bonding elements electrically coupling the substrate with the IC without the frame being an intermediary coupling element; and an encapsulant surrounding the IC, the plurality of bonding elements, and the plurality of arms.
 2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the encapsulant is disposed between the proximal end of each arm of the plurality of arms and the first major surface of the substrate.
 3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the IC die pad and the second major surface of the substrate are coplanar.
 4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer between respective distal ends of the plurality of arms and the first major surface of the substrate.
 5. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant surrounds peripheral edges of the substrate and the frame.
 6. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a metallic material.
 7. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the IC die pad has first and second opposing surfaces, the first opposing surface being adjacent to the IC, the second opposing surface being exposed through the opening the substrate.
 8. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the IC die pad is rectangle-shaped.
 9. A semiconductor device comprising a substrate an opening extending through a thickness of the substrate, the substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface; a frame comprising a rectangle-shaped integrated circuit (IC) die pad in the opening, and a plurality of arms free from an overlying contact pad, the rectangle-shaped IC die pad having first and second opposing surfaces, the second opposing surface being exposed through the opening of the substrate; wherein each arm comprises a distal end coupled to the first major surface of the substrate, and a proximal end disposed over the first major surface of the substrate; an IC mounted on the rectangle-shaped IC die pad, the IC being adjacent to the first opposing surface of the rectangle-shaped IC die pad; a plurality of bonding elements electrically coupling the substrate with the IC without the frame being an intermediary coupling element; and an encapsulant surrounding the IC, the plurality of bonding elements, and the plurality of arms.
 10. The semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein a portion of the encapsulant is disposed between the proximal end of each arm of the plurality of arms and the first major surface of the substrate.
 11. The semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein a bottom surface of the IC die pad and the second major surface of the substrate are coplanar.
 12. The semiconductor device of claim 9, further comprising an adhesive layer between respective distal ends of the plurality of arms and the first major surface of the substrate.
 13. The semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the encapsulant surrounds peripheral edges of the substrate and the frame.
 14. The semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the frame comprises a metallic material.
 15. A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate comprising an opening extending through a thickness of the substrate, the substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface; a frame devoid of an electrical connection to an element external to the frame and comprising an integrated circuit (IC) die pad in the opening, and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from said IC die pad; wherein each arm comprises a distal end coupled to the first major surface of the substrate and being aligned with an outer lateral edge of the substrate, and a proximal end disposed over the first major surface of the substrate; an IC mounted on the IC die pad; a plurality of bonding elements electrically coupling the substrate with the IC; an encapsulant surrounding the IC, the plurality of bonding elements, and the plurality of arms; and an adhesive layer between respective distal ends of the plurality of arms and the substrate.
 16. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein a portion of the encapsulant is disposed between the proximal end of each arm of the plurality of arms and the first major surface of the substrate.
 17. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein a bottom surface of the IC die pad and the second major surface of the substrate are coplanar.
 18. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the encapsulant surrounds peripheral edges of the substrate and the frame.
 19. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the IC die pad has first and second opposing surfaces, the first opposing surface being adjacent to the IC, the second opposing surface being exposed through the opening the substrate.
 20. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the frame comprises a metallic material. 